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Steve Jobs' reality distortion takes its toll on truth

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Re: Steve Jobs' reality distortion takes its toll on truth

#41

Post by jonhohle »

stcredzero wrote: post #32
darthg0d wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This has been happening for quite some time. One of the earnings call last year was more of Android-bashing than a talk about Apple's successes. EDIT: I believe it was Steve doing the talk back then too.

I think this is a sign that they're running scared a lot more than they're letting on. It's only a matter of time before the iPad style tablet becomes commoditized. Quite a few years ago, Apple was one of the design leaders in the laptop space, then others caught up, more or less. The same thing happened in the smartphone space. The same thing will happen to tablets. In a way, they are subject to the same forces that…

> Quite a few years ago, Apple was one of the design leaders in the laptop space, then others caught up, more or less. The same thing happened in the smartphone space.

Who are these companies? Seriously. Have you used an Apple product side by side with a non Apple equivalent? Does any company come close to the build quality or original design of Apple?

If other companies are almost catching up, it still means they are behind, and, worse, just riding on Apple's success without much idea of why they are successful.

Re: Steve Jobs' reality distortion takes its toll on truth

#42

Post by swombat »

martythemaniak wrote: post #36
rbarooah wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree that it seems negative and I'd rather he didn't do it, but I can see why he does. There are plenty of even less accurate commentators who are prepared to make analyses of the situation that are unfavorable to Apple. Most people don't take the time to critically analyze the 'news' they hear and are actually influenced by this stuff. Apple needs to at least state their viewpoint so that it is out there alongsid…

Is it so hard for you fanboys to say something like "Lying is wrong and he shouldn't have done it" and just leave it at that? No bullshit, no qualifications, no Gruber-style excuses, just a simple condemnation of someone doing something wrong.

Stay civil.

Re: Steve Jobs' reality distortion takes its toll on truth

#43

Post by stcredzero »

That's not including all of the Android-powered Nooks out there,

I like the look of those.

those cheap $100 Androids you can buy at Walgreens or Amazon

Those aren't doing Android any favors.

and even Windows-powered Tablet PCs (which are mentioned two bullet points above!).

Have one of those. While it is great that I can use any Windows software I want on it, I only use the iPad nowadays. It's just more comfortable to use. Not sure they're the same category as the iPad.

Re: Steve Jobs' reality distortion takes its toll on truth

#44

Post by dr_ »

Disagree, although it was wrong for Job's to misquote Samsung. Regardless, just because Samsung's tablet sales are "smooth" rather than "small" that doesn't mean that it's selling particularly well. It's not. Nor is the Xoom. I mean c'mon, honestly how many people do you know who own a Galaxy tab or a Xoom? Or anyone who is even really looking forward to buying one? And now how many people do you know who own an iPad or plan to purchase one? Exactly.

Jobs didn't even need to waste his time attacking his competitors. To be honest I, like most people out there probably, never even heard of the Samsung quote until he brought it up, so he may have even given them more credibility now.

And the smart phone game isn't over. Nobody I know who live in other countries wants an Android phone. They want an iPhone. But a lot of people can't afford it. Trust me that will change too.

Re: Steve Jobs' reality distortion takes its toll on truth

#45

Post by NickPollard »

Jun8 wrote: post #34
NickPollard wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So you're saying the iPad has sold more than 90% of all devices that are like iPads? Seems verging on tautological to me.

Well, that's one advantage of being the first mass merket provider, you define the genre, like how Toyota has defined the crossover SUV because they were the first to build one. But the actual hardware is half the story (or maybe 30%), these things will live and die with their respective app stores, which is a point Scroble made in his blog. Currently iPad is lightyears away. As for the reader/tablet discussion: this…

Defining the genre is all well and good, until someone else re-defines it out from under your feet.

At the early stage in the tablet genre we're at, this is largely moot - clearly Apple have a huge lead, both in sales and in consumer mindshare, and everyone else is playing catchup.

On the other hand, things can change.

I'm sure Sony and Nintendo would be quite happy to define the 'handheld gaming device' genre as one in which devices have buttons and analogue sticks, but saying they've got 90%+ of the 'buttons and analogue sticks' genre isn't much comfort if everyone is using their smartphones and tablets for gaming.

Similarly, Newspapers and printed media will be happy to define 'newspaper' to be something printed on real paper and then claim X marketshare, that doesn't mean that they're not losing out to online news sites.

If in a years time, Apple are saying 'but we have 90% of the REAL tablet market!' then the shareholders should be worried.

At the end of the day, it's still a case of No True Scotsman[1]

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_true_Scotsman

Re: Steve Jobs' reality distortion takes its toll on truth

#46

Post by andyman1080 »

bostonpete wrote: post #26
grav1tas wrote: post #5

I'm curious if specs in mobile devices have become less important when the device is only supposed to do more or less what it's advertised to doand what the user bought it to do, and not much else. Apple advertises all the apps that work on the iOS line of devices, but these apps are (should be) designed to fit "inside the box" of functionality on the device. Android seems to take a different philosophical approach w…

I'm not sure I buy it, or at least that reasoning doesn't match Apple's apparent position on this. For example, at the iPhone 4 launch, the retinal display was the big topic. It would seem hard for them to then turn around and say that the better resolution of the XOOM is irrelevant. This is the first product version launch I can remember where Apple wasn't on the leading edge in terms of specs. If they launched mont…

But the better resolution of the XOOM is irrelevant. The core value of a tablet device to the user is delivered through apps. Users tend not to care or notice how many pixels the device has, as long as there is a variety of good and inexpensive apps.

Not changing the iPad 2 resolution ensures there are still 65k and counting fully compatible apps. Android tablet makers continually "one-upping" each other on specs effectively ensure that much fewer quality and compatible apps will be available for their devices.

Re: Steve Jobs' reality distortion takes its toll on truth

#47

Post by jokermatt999 »

scott_s wrote: post #14
jokermatt999 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And thankfully, good journalists will call them out on it. I'd argue that's an important function of journalism, even.

That's fine, but the tone of this piece was surprise that Apple would use its own marketing event to make Apple look good. Calling them out on facts is good, but there's no need to tell me that Apple will selectively present features based on how good it sells.

I think the backlash is stronger because Apple puts more into their marketing. They put a lot of effort into making everything "magical", "unforgettable", and "world changing". Naturally, some people have strong adverse reactions to that, and are going to be quite negative in an attempt to even it out, at least as they see it. It makes complete sense if you look at it as a counter/reaction to Apple's heavily positive PR.

Re: Steve Jobs' reality distortion takes its toll on truth

#48

Post by rbarooah »

egor83 wrote: post #40
rbarooah wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which numbers were outright wrong?

The claim about 90% market share. Price comparison, while not outright wrong, is still stretching the truth a bit. "Smooth/small" thing too.

I don't see how the 90% market share statement is wrong unless you include boxes sitting in warehouses or returned products as 'sold'.

What's wrong with the price comparison?

I agree that the smooth/small thing was underhanded, although let's not forget that that statement was made as Samsung admitted that they hadn't actually sold 2m devices as they had previously claimed.

Re: Steve Jobs' reality distortion takes its toll on truth

#49

Post by [deleted] »

Tycho wrote: post #22

Somebody rebutted the points in one of the comments: none of the dual-core are really shipping over 100 000 a month (threshold for volume considering iPad ships 1,000,000 per month); Samsung admitted miscalculating their end-sales; iPad 2 has some intense minitiarisation, which as with other 'features/improvements' doesn't come free; Apple bore the entire cost of developing the OS themselves; Kindles, Nooks etc. aren…

[deleted]
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